maxg Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 I couldnt find it and ended up buying: 1 Mahler - Das Lied Von Der Erde (the Song of the Earth) - Turnabout 2 Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherezade (London ffrr Piere Montreux / London Symphony Orchestra) - already got 3 copies but none are very good. 3 Set of 3 Audio spectrum records of dramatic Soprano, Lyric Soprano and Coloratura Soprano - all with the London Philharmonic 4 Dvorak Serenade for String Orchestra - Grieg Holberg Suite - London Symphony Orchestra - EMI 5 Dvorak - The water goblin / The noon Witch / Husitska - Supraphon (all new to me - never heard of these pieces) 6 Dvorak Symphony 4 - Slovak philharmonic Orchestra - Opus 7 Tchaikovsky - 1812 / Ravel Bolero Living Stereo RCA Victor Red Seal - got both of course - but this could be a good recording... 8 Mendelssohn Violin concerto (Boston Symphony)/ Bruch Violin Concerto no. 1 (National Symphony) - RCA Victrola (MONO) - probably got the Mendelssohn but not the Bruch for sure. 9 Beethoven Emperor Concerto - Artur Rubenstein - Boston Symphony - RCA Victor Red Seal Dynagroove stereo - looks immaculate (got - I dont know - 5 copies already but this could be something special). 10 Marriage of Figaro - Mozart - Highlights - Philips (yeah got it but what the hell) 11 Stravinski - Petrouchka - London symphony - Vanguard 12 Toscannini conducts - Moldau/Danse Macabre/Sorcerer's apprentice RCA Victor 13 Debussy Preludes - Guiomar Novaes - Vox 14 Schubert Symphony 7 - Szell/Cleveland - Epic 15 Schubert Sonata Reliquie/Drei Klavierstuche - nonsuch 16 Horowitz in Recital - Various works - RCA Victor Red Seal Mono 17 Beethoven Symphony 3 Arturo Toscanini & NBC symphony Orch. - RCA Victor Red Seal - Mono Yup another of those - dont ask the price its $2 per record days... Got to control this somehow - space issues now critical - there are records under the bed!!! Still - cant wait to hear some of this stuff....if I can smuggle it in to the house that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 It's a fine situation when you like classical music on a dead format. I bought ten last week at 59 cents each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted February 2, 2004 Author Share Posted February 2, 2004 Paul, That sounds like an even better deal depending on what you got recording wise. Thank god for dead formats and classical. I have picked up around 400 albums in the last 6 months or so (maybe more - who counts these days) for less than $1,000. Now if I were a Jazz fan I would have had to spend rather more than that on the same dead format - and of course if it were not a dead format it would have cost untold $$$ - on SACD I would have had to remortgage probably - aside from the obvious issue of availability... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Here's the one you need, Max: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 The two finest Dvorak recordings I've heard are both on Philips SACD, conducted by Ivan Fischer. It would take quite a stubborn man not to be swayed by these two fantastic performances: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Around here, there is far more used classical than anything else, with the exception of Christmas records, Johnny Mathis records, and Herb Alpert records. I rarely buy anything that isn't near mint, unless it is particularly desirable. As the collection grows, I'm getting pickier. Among last week's purchases were a couple Segovia, Sibelius Sym 5, Mahler 1 by Sir Adrian Boult on Everest, and Otto Klemperer conducting Mendelssohn 4 and Schubert 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted February 2, 2004 Author Share Posted February 2, 2004 There are bucketfulls of classical around here too - although many of the vinyl stores just wont hold it as it is not a quick seller. I sympathise with their situation to be honest. They have limited storage space and a choice of filling the shelves with Jazz at up to $40 a record which sells the second it hits the store or classical at $2 which moves like a slug in treacle. Of course every one of them has taken my name and telephone number to call me if classical comes in. Its funny but they give me preferential treatment buying the $2 cheapies over the guys that buy the $40 "proper" audiophile recordings. Sometimes it is nice to be rare. And yes that is the very Dvorak I want. You dont have 2 copies of it do you??? As for the SACD versions - well call me stubborn!! They may actually be wonderful - but what price a player that will do them justice and what price the media?? I've been spoilt by the pricing I get - adjusting to $15-$20 per recording would not be easy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Sorry, Max, just one copy of Starker. I also have Rostropovich playing it, but I prefer Starker's. And also as played by Yo-Yo; never been that crazy about Yo-Yo--he just doesn't connect with me. IMHO one doesn't need a state of the art SACD player to hear the format's advantages but I realize you have liquid black vinyl coursing through your veins so I'm not going to try to talk you out of or into anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted February 2, 2004 Author Share Posted February 2, 2004 "you have liquid black vinyl coursing through your veins" LOL - cant deny that one. Interesting that you think lesser SACD players can provide a rewarding experience (as in, presumably, better than vinyl - or at least a match). I only dabbled with SACD on a Sony 900 combo SACD/DVD player and was, ultimately not happy at all with the results. I have heard SACD sound great but only on an Accuphase DP85 that cost about double my entire system. If I were to dabble again what unit would you recommend I look at? Lets keep the price to the cost of my TT which, all up with arm, phono, cartridge, table and mods now weighs in at a hefty $2,500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 I don't even bother to compare formats anymore. I think through following the SACD vs DVD-A war it's clear that people are too emotionally involved with their favorite horse in the race. Give me the right performance and it can overcome even a bad recording--let's say Pablo Casals from 1915. I don't have enough experience with high-end SACD players to tell you much. I'm happy with my stock Philips SACD-1000, which is their top unit, even though it's a few years old. If I wanted to change it, I could spend from $400 to $4000 getting it modded! If I were going to spend $2500, I'd probably buy the new top of the line Sony. Another alternative would be to buy a more modest machine and have a thousand or two worth of mods done to it. But I'd never do that unless I could audition the particular modded machine in my home for a while first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted February 2, 2004 Author Share Posted February 2, 2004 Interesting - I wasnt even considering DVDa - but only on the basis that classical on SACD seems to be more prevalent than on DVDa. Cant say I have investiaged it much - just the impression I get. What is a good all format player (well DVDa and SACD - not that bothered with anything else - I already have 2 DVD playes and a CD player - or 2)? I would be happy with a 2 channel only variant. I seem to remember that both Pioneer and Denon have combo players - anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai2000 Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 May I add my 2cents? For the Dvorak I'd also suggest the Casals/Szell recording from 1937 (my copy is on Dutton - CDEA 5002 - includes also a Szell Dvorak No.9 'From the New World) plus the Rostropovich/Karajan on DG (which is really outstanding - though I don't know the Starker mentioned above). And: if you like cello concertos, get the Elgar!!! Wolfram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 I don't personally care about DVD-A, so never researched the matter thoroughly. I don't think there is such a thing as a 2-channel DVD-A player. There are several dual-format players that people like, but no state of the art one that I've heard about. DVD-A is still hanging in there, barely; I thought it would be dead a long time ago. Since Warners is the only company of importance behind it, and their music division was just sold, I would be surprised if the format did *not* get the axe. Warners has lost money on every title and have stuck with it only because of a grudge against rival Sony. But new owners are likely to look at the economics of it and forget about the fight with Sony. When you've got 1/10 of a percent of the market for hi-rez, there's just not enough consumer money to take care of two formats. SACD has saved a lot of small classical labels. When a small label can sell 10,000 units of a title, that is huge for them. Classical titles that were stagnant on CD are selling well on SACD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted February 2, 2004 Author Share Posted February 2, 2004 Wolfram, "For the Dvorak I'd also suggest the Casals/Szell recording from 1937 (my copy is on Dutton - CDEA 5002 - includes also a Szell Dvorak No.9 'From the New World)" got the Szell but on another recording (funnily enough on both vinyl and SACD - I think..) " plus the Rostropovich/Karajan on DG (which is really outstanding - though I don't know the Starker mentioned above)." Fully agree on the Karajan. I have it on DG CD and it is far and away my favorite recording of the New World (I have around 9 on vinyl) in terms of the presentation of the music at least. I'm glad you like that version too - I always wondered if I liked it only because I got used to it having bought it in the early 80's. "And: if you like cello concertos, get the Elgar!!!" Got it. Do wonder sometimes why there is comparitively little written for the cello compared to the violin - as an instrument it is the equal of the violin IMHO. Mysteries of life I guess. Paul, If I buy an SACD only player that will be the death of the format. You are talking to someone who had betamax, has a camera that uses memory sticks, liked IBM microchannel architecture etc. etc. In any 2 horse race I can always be relied upon to back the loser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 ---------------- On 2/2/2004 11:00:36 AM maxg wrote: You are talking to someone who had betamax, ---------------- Funnily enough, there are still people who use Beta all the time. No doubt they keep their techs busy. The top decks sell for a lot of money on eBay. You can't even give away the tapes though. The cello is my favorite instrument. We have two cellists in the parrot household. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 I will say that a good SACD player handily beats out the lower cost varieties in my view. Then again, I have not heard much in between but my experience with the $250-$300 units was not as favorable, at least compared to even the better well built Redbook players. On the other hand, the now aging, but built to amazing standards, Sony SCD-777es was a dramatic step up with much blacker background, low end extension, and smoothness in the top end while still sounding extended, this compared to the bargain SACD. People that are used to low-end mid-fi digital might even think the top is shelved down a bit with the higher end 777es as that area is less pronounced than low cost digital. The power supply, regulation, and output stage of the top flight Sony is something to seriously consider as not much expense was spared. Still, I dont believe SACD equals the best of analog although it surely gives standard, average setup analog pressure to upgrade. Face it, getting your analog front end "right" is not always easy to achieve, nor is it a fun mission. Like getting system synergy, getting the turntable/arm/cartridge/phono stage and stand all working as a perfect unit can be a lesson in frustration. Meanwhile, drop the right amount of ducats in ye olde quality SACD and you might think you stumbled upon the answer, at least a hell of a lot easier. But in my view, SACD does not exhibit the air, life, presence, "realness," and "you are there" quality that good analog does. Although SACD seems very smooth and loses many of the foibles of bad digital, including a real step up in transparency and loss of the more mediocre top, it still sounds somewhat like a mechanized reproduction, just without the obvious artifacts. This quality is a hard one to pin down verbally, but one can sense this presentation difference in comparison to good analog. Given all the verbiage and attention to "dynamic range" and no "pop, tic, crackle," good analog actually sounds like MORE of the event is there in the presentation. Call it what you will but I like to equate the difference to tubes and EXCELLENT solid state. It's a very apt comparison as great solid state can sound very fine, but ultimately does not quite have the life-like presence of tube reproduction. In a way, analog to SACD is very similar. I am looking forward to hearing the Sony SCD-777es down in my own system in the near future if Tad can muster the will to carry that beast here. Serious accolades must go to Sony for the build of this massive beast. The mass and build quality are not captured in photos. kh ps- nice cello, btw. It is my favorite classical instrument as well. I also love the double bass and am lucky enough to have a family friend that is one of the best in the world - Edgar Meyer. IF anyone has not heard Edgar Meyer, you owe it to yourself - his musical taste is a bit ecclectic but his talent is unmistakable. He can bring tears to your eyes. Wondering if any of the above has heard Edgar tackle Bach? How about doing Bach's CELLO SUITES on the double bass???? Check it out as this is a rarity. While there are better versions, not on the double bass! I will say that classical is not his forte but this is worth it on difficulty alone. Bach: Unaccompanied Cello Suites, Nos. 1, 2, and 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Gentlemen, I would like to take a minute to compliment you on this thread. Beautiful music, instruments, civil discourse without strife on equipment, informative, and having read the entire thread I feel enriched. This is a diamond that makes the Klipsch Forum a worthy site to visit daily! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Man, Sheltie, I was just going to tell Mobile he didn't know what he was talking about, and then you have to post that! I do have that Meyer CD and enjoy it a lot. No. 1 in G Major is beautiful. Also have his "Appalachian Journey" with Yo-Yo and Mark O'Connor. And Hilary Hahn playing his Violin Concerto. Pieter Wispelwey is a great cellist who records on Channel Classics, a label which just announced it's going to be exclusively hybrid SACD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 ---------------- On 2/2/2004 10:40:56 AM dubai2000 wrote: And: if you like cello concertos, get the Elgar!!! Wolfram ---------------- Wolfram, I DEFINITELY agree on the Elgar concerto. It provided the sad, melancholy musical subtext in the movie "Hilary and Jackie." Elgar's WW I-based mood perfectly captured the viewer's sense of developing tragedy in which Jacqueline Du Pre was cut down (by MS) in her prime. That astonishing upward scale on the cello (was that her recording?) was especially effective in climactic places. I like the Du Pre recording with Barbirolli conducting the London Symphony very much. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai2000 Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Larry. the Du Pre/Barbirolli recording is indeed a classic. Another recording I like is the Fournier/Wallenstein on DG. On my copy it comes with hte Enigma Variations conducted be.....Eugen Jochum (of all conductors!). The other disc on the set includes Holst's 'Planets' (Boston SO/Steinberg) - another interesting performance. And for the Elgar another mono recording: Beatrice Harrison (vc) conducted by Elgar himself (EMI) - beautiful (despite its age). Wolfram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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